Siren, Rochester Bestiary, c.1230
The top half of the body down to the navel is human (usually female), and early sources say that from the waist down to their feet they are like birds, although later sources claim that they are like fish. Sirens charm seafarers by singing a beautiful song with the sweetest melody, which sailors hear far off, and are lured from their course and head towards the sirens. The sweetness of the song lulls the sailors to sleep, whereupon the sirens attack them and devour their flesh.
The moral of the story of the sirens is that people who delight in worldly pleasures will fall prey to the devil.
Transcription
Translation
lia sunt. que a capite usque ad umbilicum fi-
guras habent hominum. Extremas vero partes usque ad
pedes; volatilis habent. et figura musica quoddam
dulcissimum melodie carmen emittunt. Ita ut per
suavitatem vocis auditus hominum a longe navigan-
tium demulceant et ad se trahant. ac nimia suavi-
tatis modulatione perlectant aures. et eos et sensus
eorum in sompnum vertunt. Tunc demum cum vide-
Sirens, as the naturalists says, are deadly animals, which have the shape of men from head to navel. But the furthest parts down to the feet; they have feathers, and in the form of music they send forth a song of a sweet melody. So that by the sweetness of the sound of the voice they soften and draw to themselves those who are sailing from afar, and with an excessive sweetness of melody peruse their ears, and turn them and their senses into sleep. Then finally, when they
et dilaniant carnes eorum. et sic per suasionem vo-
cis; ignaros et incantos homines decipiunt; et
mortificant. space ic igitur decipiuntur qui in delitiis
et pompis et volutatibus huius seculi delectantur.
et comediis et tragediis et diversis musicis melo-
diis dissoluti; velut in sompno gravi mentis vigo-
rem amittunt. et subito efficiuntur adversariorum
avidissime prede.
saw them in a deep dream; they invade suddenly, and tear their flesh, and so by the persuasion of the voice; they deceive ignorant and enchanted men; and they kill, and therefore those who delight in the delights and pomps and frolics of this age, and are distracted by comedies and tragedies and different musical melodies, are deceived; as if in a heavy dream they lose their mental strength, and suddenly become the most eager prey of their adversaries.